Ken Dashow

Ken Dashow

Listen to Ken Dashow everyday and don't forget about Breakfast With The Beatles every Sunday Morning.Full Bio

 

Ace Frehley Helped Ex-Guitarist Pay for Wife's Funeral

As excited as Ace Frehley is about his new "younger and more hungry" backing band, letting his old band go wasn't easy. Especially knowing that guitarist Richie Scarlet had just become a widower before getting the news.

"Richie didn't take it well because his wife had just passed away," Frehley told The Eddie Trunk Podcast. "It was a nightmare because I kept procrastinating because I said, 'How can I call Richie and let him know I'm using another band when his wife is on her death bed.' It was tearing me apart. Finally, I just said, 'I've got to man up.'"

Scarlet's wife, Joann, had been battling Lou Gehrig Disease.

He continued: "So I called him and I told him briefly why, and he hung up on me. He goes, 'I can't believe this s---, and he hung up on me."

Fully understanding the situation, a few days later Frehley called back.

"He apologized for hanging up on me. I've known Richie forever. ... We healed. He told me he loved me like a brother. I told him the same. I said, 'Tell me what I can do for you because I know you were expecting the money from the [Kiss] Kruise [VIII].'"

After the conversation Frehley says he wired some money to help pay for the funeral, which he also attended.

"She was a wonderful lady," Frehley said of Joann. 

The co-founding KISS guitarist made news last month when it was revealed that he replaced his old band with Gene Simmons' solo band.

Frehley was honest about that factors that led to the change. He told Trunk he's trying to get leaner, both physically (he's dropped about 40 pounds this year) and financially. 

But the change wasn't just about money. He says the new band just sounds better and can perform all the lead and background vocals from his Kiss and solo catalog. 


Photo: Getty Images


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